MORE than 150 protesters have called for a “people’s arms embargo” on Israel, as they once again bring one of the world’s biggest arms manufacturer’s Edinburgh plant to a standstill.
Waving the flag of Palestine and linking arms at the factory gates, campaigners braved the sub-zero temperatures of a Scottish winter to blockade the Leonardo UK site from 5am on Wednesday morning as they demanded the company sever ties with Israel.
The company paid £400 million in dividends to its shareholders last year and raked-in over £1.2 billion in profit over the last two years from it activities, which include manufacturing laser targeting technology for the F-35 jets being used to devastating effect by Israeli forces laying waste to Gaza and slaughtering more than 42,000 people in the process.
One protester, Patrick, 29, a bar worker, said: “I’m here today because it’s our obligation under international law to do what we can to ensure our communities are not complicit in genocide.”
Another, Rebecca, a charity project manager, attended because she was “deeply upset and angry at the slaughter and degradation of people in Gaza, Palestine more widely, and in Lebanon”, adding: “This is not simply a ‘humanitarian disaster’ — it’s a deliberate action by Israel to eliminate all human life.”
Speaking to the Star, Nina, meanwhile, called for the people deliver their own embargo.
“We are tired of waiting for the government to do something.
“So now we’re trying to push for an arms embargo from the people — a people’s arms embargo.
“This factory is embedded within a working-class community in Edinburgh.
“We don’t want something complicit in the murder of children in our communities, especially when we have so many children here in need.
In a direct call for Leonardo UK workers to back the campaign and refuse to work on the F-35 contract, she added:
“The message we have for the workforce is that ‘we stand with you.’
“As in every other workplace, it’s the top dogs that are making billions out of the misery of others.
“We’re against the factory and what it’s doing and the people who are making billions out of genocide.
“We want to support workers to join a union, to organise with their unions, organise within their communities, and within the factories because it’s been done before.
“People and the workers have the power.”
Leonardo UK has been contacted for comment.
